Cooking utensil.



No. 856,509. PATNNTED JUNE 11, 1907. M. O. BACON N M. BALDRIDGB.

' COOKING UTENSIL,

APPLICATION FILED 0071.17, 1905.

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MARY C. BACON AND MAY BALDRIDGE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

COOKING UTENSIL- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 190'7.

Application filed October 17,1905. Serial No. 283,086.

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MARY C. BACON and MAY BALDRIDGE, both citizens ofthe United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angelesand State of California, have invented a new and useful Cooking Utensil,of which the following is a specification.

An object of our invention is to provide improved means for cooking softarticles without. destroying the form thereof, or in any wise breakingor injuring them when the same are boiled in -water or other fluid.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for cooking softbodies, as for instance poached eggs in a superior manner by applyinghot water to said bodies evenly around all edges while the body issupported on asurface that is likewise heated by the same body of water.

The utensil consists in a body in the form of an open ended vesselhaving a row of holes entirely around it a distance above the lower endand also having a way for a sliding bottom and a bottom to slide in suchway.

Broadly considered, our invention relates to a cooking utensil adaptedto be placed inside a receptacle in which water or other fluid is beingheated; said utensil being provided with a horizontally-movable bottomand with walls perforated below the water level on a plurality of sidesof the bottom.

Our invention comprises a plurality of receptacles each having a slidingbottom, there being an open space between said receptacles, and each ofsaid receptacles having perforated sides.

In the following specification we have shown and described the device intwo forms, in one of .which one cooking receptacle is used, and in theother form two receptacles are used, but it is to be understood thatmore receptacles may be used if desired.

lhe accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device in one form thereof. Fig. 2is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line x3-3,Fig. 2. Fig, 4 is a perspective view of a modiiied form of the device.Fig. 5 is a vertical mid-section of the same. Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail fragmental view of guiding means for the slidable bottom of thedevice. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal mid-section of said bottom.

The cooking utensil shown in Fig. 1, comprises two receptacles A, B,formed by frame thereof.

l which includes side pieces 2, and end pieces 3 and 4 which may be madeof sheet metal and fastened together by any suitable means.

5 designates perforations in the sides and outer ends of the device toallowfree access of heated liquid to and from the article beingv cooked.

5 designates perforations through the inner end pieces 4.

rlhe bottom 6 is desirably formed as a slide consisting of a singlepiece of sheet metal having an upturned .flange 7 to limit the insertionof the slide, and a suitable han dle or ring 8 for withdrawing andinserting the slide.

9 designates the main handle of the device which is desirably ofconsiderable length and is preferably attached thereto between the tworeceptacles A, B, and directly above the middle compartment orlaterally-inclosed space l0 formed between said receptacles A B.

vThe side walls 2.are each provided along the bottom with a suitableguide for the slides 6. Said guide preferably consists of a flangeformed as a downward continuation of side pieces 2, said flangeconsisting of an inward extension 1l having a reversely-bent portion l2and a final inward extension i3 to support the slidingbottom duringmovements The double bend of this flange makes a strong frame andprovides a smooth guide for the movable bottom.

In the 'form of device having a two-part receptacle, each part ispreferably provided with a bottom which can be withdrawn in thedirection opposite the other part.

F igs. 4 and 5 show our improved cooking utensil formed as a singlereceptacle having a handle 8 extending upwardly from one side thereof,the slidable bottom 6 being removable 'from the side of the receptacleopposite from that to which the handle is attached.

Ve do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to any exactconstruction or size of receptacle. l/Vhen designed to be used for thepurpose of poaching eggs to be served on toast, each receptacle may bemade approximately rectangular in shape, having a length somewhatgreater than its width, and is desirably of a size adapted tosubstantially cover the piece of toast upon which the poached egg is tobe placed.

The use of our device will be easily understood from the foregoingdescription.

In applying the poached egg to a piece of IOO IIO

toast, the receptacle containing the egg should be placed squarely overand in close proximity to the piece of toast when the sliding bottom iswithdrawn sufficiently to leave the egg in proper place and in unbrokencondition upon the toasted bread.

The end pieces 3 toward which the Hat bottom 6 slides as the same iswholly or partially withdrawn, form walls which operate as abutments toarrest articles carried by said bottom so that poached eggs, for eX-ample, may be deposited beneath the utensil upon toast or upon anythingelse over which the utensil is held vwhile the bottom is. beingwithdrawn.

Our device when used as a two-part receptacle having an intermediatecompartment is especially adapted to be used on gasolene stoves andother heaters where the heat is mostly generated at a single point. Inthis case, the poacher should be placed into the container in which theiuid is being heated, with the middle compartment 10 over the hottestportion of the flame, so that the boiling water from that point willpass through the inner perforations 5 into each receptacle and willcirculate therethrough thoroughly and evenly cooking the eggs or otherarticle being cooked.

The two-part receptacle having the intermediate space between theperforated walls 4 is of especial advantage for poaching eggs in boilingwater, as the boiling water, is made to pass continuously through theperforations of the inside walls 4 over the eggs which areA thus cookedsufficiently onvtop before their bottom portion is overdone. The boilingwater circulates freely over the eggs through the openings which areprovided on all sides of the receptacles. Devices have been made forboiling vegetables in which the water is raised considerably above thesurface and made to fall down with considerable force in a stream uponthe article being cooked. Such an appliance has the disadvantage ofapplying the hot water too much to one spot and is liable to break theyolk of the egg owing to the force of the descending stream. By ourinvention a receptacle having walls perforated below the vwater line isprovided whereby an even and gentle circulation of water is caused toenter adjacent the bottom of the receptacle, pass around and over theegg from all sides thereof to properly cook the same Without danger ofbreaking the yolk.

What we claim is 1. A cooking utensil comprising a twopart receptacleeach part having a slidable bottom movable in a direction opposite fromthe other part, therebeing a laterally inclosed intermediate spacebetween each part of the receptacle and openings leading from said spaceinto each part of the receptacle.

2. A cooking utensil comprising a plurality of receptacles, eachreceptacle having a horizontally-movable bottom, there being alaterally-inclosed intermediate space between the said receptacles, andopenings leading from said space into said receptacles adjacent thebottom thereof.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands'at Los Angeles,California this 11th day of October 1905 MARY C. BACON. MAY BALDRIDGE.

In presence of- ALBERT H. MERRILL, JULIA TowNsnNn.

